SBIR-STTR Award

SiOnyx proposes a groundbreaking silicon based detector that has the potential to displace multiple imaging technologies by imparting enhance responsivity performance to silicon and extending its spectral sensitivity into the infrared. This program will validate this technology by developing point detectors packaged in industry standard electronic packages. Early investigations of Black Silicon have shown responsivities in excess of 100 A/W, two orders of magnitude better than other known methods (silicon PINs, Ge, InGaAs) in the visible and near IR at room temperature. Furthermore, Black Silicon has demonstrated sensitivity from 400-1300 nm with low level sensitivity out to 1550nm. As part of this program we will develop metal contact strategies electronic packaging schemes that deliver this remarkable performance in a discrete photodetector device.

Keywords:
Nightivision, Infrared Imaging, Black Silicon, Photodetector, Photodiode, Cmos Silicon

SiOnyx has developed a novel silicon processing technology for CMOS sensors that will extend spectral sensitivity into the near/shortwave infrared (NIR/SWIR) and enable a full performance digital night vision capability comparable to that of current image-intensifier based night vision goggles. The process is compatible with established CMOS manufacturing infrastructure and has the promise of much lower cost than competing approaches. The measured quantum efficiency at 1064nm demonstrates a 30x improvement over incumbent technologies and the demonstrated detector performance exceeds detectivities of 1x10^14 Jones. As fusion imaging becomes mainstream it is well recognized that a highly scalable low cost digital nightvision sensor is vital for multispectral imaging platforms

Keywords:
Black Silicon, photodetector, focal plane array, CMOS imager, nightvision, CMOS pixels